A Writer's Review of “Surrender Bay" by Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter's books are blowing me away one book at a time. First I read A Convenient Groom years ago. I loved it, but I have always been more into historical fiction, so regrettably, I did not look the rest of her books up.

Regrettably, being the key word.

A while back I was chatting online with a few fellow writer friends from ACFW. The topic was my use of a prologue instead of flashbacks in the book I am writing. In this discussion, my friend Sheri Salatin mentioned Denise Hunter's use of flashbacks was amazing. So, I went straight to the library and borrowed her book, Driftwood Lane... Which I loved and reviewed on this blog in June.

The last book I read was her book called Surrender Bay. I have to admit, I started it in June and it took me a while to finish... which was the first clue that I loved it. I had to put it down just to dwell on what the characters were going through. Such turmoil! Such conflictions! Such love! And such an ending!

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you... It's a love story about the past, present and future of Samantha Owens and Landon Reed. It has tension, passion and mystery. With every page, you find out more about the reasons Samantha is bound up so tight.

Then it all comes out. Your jaw drops. You might even scream - or at the very least gasp. You put the book down, "It's over. The love story is over. He won't love her now. Not now."

But then you pick the book back up... Believing.

He must. He must!

And that's all I'm going to say.

Except for that even with all the reading I've done in the last few years, I just haven't come across many books using flashbacks in a way that seemed completely natural... Until now. I don't remember there being any in A Convenient Groom, but they are a fundamental part of both Surrender Bay and Driftwood Lane.

Thank you, Denise Hunter, for using your God-given talent to create such amazing books. And thank you for showing me, by example, how the use of flashbacks can enhance a story.

I borrowed this book from my local Allen County Public Library. I give it 5 STARS and will consider it one of my favorite books for the rest of my life.

Dawn